


Dull Blue Eyes

by Oakwyrm



Category: Thrilling Intent (Web Series)
Genre: Angst, Death, Grief/Mourning, Multi, it's just generally awful
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-21
Updated: 2016-10-21
Packaged: 2018-08-23 16:55:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8335279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oakwyrm/pseuds/Oakwyrm
Summary: What are you supposed to do when you lose someone?





	

**Author's Note:**

> Well I've had the idea since January. Blame Sab for it actually existing. And then Shane and Jacob for convincing me to actually upload it.

Ashe breathed heavily, ignoring the pain in her arm to the best of her abilities. She sent a short spark of green energy into it and tried not to wince as her energy drained further. The fight was not going well and she'd already had to use so much just to keep her friends alive.

She swayed for a moment, trying to get her head back on track. It was a mere moment but that was all it took. The monster sensed her distraction and sprung at her, wicked claws aiming to kill. She began to raise her sword but she knew in that moment that it was too late. She was going to die.

The sound of claws tearing through flesh and the nauseating smell of blood filled the air. Ashe froze as she watched Markus topple backwards, his chest torn open and his eyes wide. She fought back the sick feeling rising in the throat as she replayed the moment over and over. She scrambled over to Markus as he convulsed on the ground, struggling to keep breathing.

Her mind tuned out the sound of Gregor's enraged cry as he dove for the monster and she focused in on Markus. She reached for him, pulling together the last of her strength but she could already tell it wouldn't be enough. Still she sent her power into him, trying to repair damage that was beyond her remaining strength. She struggled to knit his broken body back together but it was for nothing.

“No, no, no Markus you can't do this!” she pleaded even as she felt his pulse weaken, then stutter and stop. His movements stilled and he went entirely limp. She sat back, stunned for a moment before the world came back to her. She heard the clatter of Kyr's sword as it slipped from his hands, saw the way Thog stumbled backwards before turning his gaze away from her and the body that had once been Markus Tannhauser Velafi.

Gregor was standing over the defeated monster, chest heaving. He wavered for a second before he lost consciousness, falling forwards onto his face. Inien ran to him and crouched beside him, her hair obscuring her face from the rest of the group. Though they could all see how her shoulders shook.

The world was silent for a moment before Kyr began to cry. Broken sobs that tore at what remained of Ashe's heart. She swallowed thickly and closed her eyes, wishing she could erase the world.

She heard steps behind her and turned her head slightly, opening her eyes to look up at Thog. His eyes were no longer looked dead. No, the eyes that looked at her now were much, much worse. They looked utterly and completely hollow. She turned her gaze from him and back to Markus. She began to reach out to close his dull, lifeless blue eyes but twitched and snatched her hand back when she saw the blood on it.

She looked down and for the first time registered the blood on her hands. Markus' blood.

At that thought something inside her seemed to break as, suddenly, she began to laugh. A chilling, hysterical laugh that sounded too distorted to be coming from a human. Inien raised her head sharply to stare at Ashe like she'd gone mad.

Ashe pressed a blood-stained hand to her mouth as the mirthless laughter turned into tearing sobs.

_Your fault._

_Your fault._

_Your fault._

“No,” she tried desperately to negate the nagging voice inside her head. But it _was_ her fault. She had slipped up. She had gotten distracted. She had used to much of her power. And Markus had taken the blow meant for her.

Was she really arrogant enough to believe her life was worth his?

***

Ashe woke with a start, breathing heavily. She raised her hands to her eyes to quickly wipe away the tears as the figure next to her stirred. Thog sat up, blinking the sleep out of his eyes. She looked away from him but her shaking frame betrayed her.

“Markus again?” he asked, though he didn't really need to. It was always Markus these days. She actually longed for the days when the nightmares had been of her own hollow shell. Those she could deal with. Markus' death was so, so much worse.

“It should have been me,” she said, her voice low.

“Bullshit!” Thog snapped. She jumped, turning abruptly to stare at him. “That's bullshit, Ashe and he-” Thog's voice died for a moment, pain flickering in his eyes.

“He died for nothing!” Ashe retorted, anger flaring for a moment. Thog's glared at her.

“He died for _you_ ,” he said. “That is not fucking nothing! Fuck...” Thog ran a hand over his face, trying to collect himself.

He inched closer to her, not touching her but letting her decide if she needed him in that moment or not. Ashe breathed out and leaned her forehead against his shoulder.

“I couldn't save him,” she whispered. He took her hand and seemed to falter for a moment. Memories of the day Markus had been snatched from them were not pleasant but Ashe needed him right now. Needed him to remember and remind her.

“He knew you wouldn't be able to,” Thog sighed. “We all fucking new. You were exhausted. There was nothing you could have done.”

She closed her eyes briefly as she let herself land.

“Try to get some rest,” Thog said, laying back down. She focused on merely breathing for a second before nodding and following his example.

The echoes of a familiar voice carried her to sleep even as tears began to silently fall again.

_Gather around as the fire dies down..._

**Author's Note:**

> oh gods that was so hard to do and I'm so sorry why did I think this was a good idea?
> 
> "I love you so much," I whisper to Markus and I violently kill him and make his friends and partners mourn him.


End file.
